Nearly $50,000 Stolen From an Orange County School District

Four suspects have been arrested after they allegedly stole nearly $50,000 from the school district in Pine Bush, New York.

A routine check of the Pine Bush School District's finances leads the school to begin an investigation into various checks being cashed fraudulently.

Check Cashing Fraud Discovered

It all started back in November 2024, when the Pine Bush School District became aware that various checks that the school issued to pay legitimate bills incurred by the district were found to have been fraudulently cashed.

Soon after making the discovery, school officials began an internal audit and contacted the Crawford Police Department (CPD) to open an investigation into the claims.

Checks Intercepted in the Mail

Both CPD and the U.S. Postal Inspector began to investigate and discovered that nearly $50,000 worth of checks were stolen during the mailing process and deposited into various accounts by multiple individuals.

According to the school district website, the checks had been intercepted after leaving the Pine Bush CSD Business Office via the United States Postal Service and later deposited into various accounts.

Suspects Identified

The Crawford Police Detective Division, in collaboration with the district and multiple law enforcement agencies, identified and arrested all four suspects who lived in Sullivan County, Westchester County, and New York City.

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Each of the suspects (below) was charged with various crimes, including 3rd degree Grand Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property.

The arrested individuals are:

• Nayanti Brown, 20, of New York, NY, charged with Forgery 1st degree, Possession of
Forged Instrument 1st degree, Grand Larceny 3rd degree, and Criminal Possession of
Stolen Property 3rd Degree.
• Shawna Richardson, 23, of Rock Hill, NY, charged with Grand Larceny 3rd degree and
Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree.
• Joseph Irving, 36, of Mount Vernon, NY, charged with Grand Larceny 3rd degree and
Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree.
• Delroy White, 45, of Bronx, NY, charged with Grand Larceny 3rd degree and Criminal
Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree.

The school district applauded all agencies involved, saying, "We want to extend our sincere gratitude to both the Town of Crawford Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspector for their dedication and expertise in resolving this matter swiftly and effectively."